The 25 Best Cities For Working Parents

Juggling a career and a family isn't easy. Yet, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, a majority of parents in the U.S. today are attempting to do it.

Approximately 88% of U.S. families with children have one parent in the workforce, and 58% have two working parents.

Knowing that, Business Insider partnered up with personal finance site NerdWallet to find the best cities for those with two jobs: employee and parent.

Our analysis focuses on affordability (median income and housing costs), childcare costs, school quality, and the community (percentage of households with children) in the 100 largest U.S. cities.

Gilbert, Arizona, ranks No. 1 with an overall score of 72.5.

NerdWallet analyst Divya Raghavan says the Phoenix suburb has transformed itself from the "Hay Shipping Capital of the World" to a diverse suburban center in recent years. "With moderate costs and a high median household income, Gilbert offers affordability and also high-quality schools," she says. Almost 77% of households in Gilbert include children.

Following close behind in the No. 2 spot is Plano, Texas, with a score of 67.4.

Located in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, Plano is home to the corporate headquarters of Dell Services, Toyota Motors, J.C. Penney, and Siemens PLM Software. NerdWallet found that Plano has a high median income, average childcare costs, and high quality public schools.

Rounding out the top three is Chandler, Arizona — another Phoenix suburb.

"Chandler's strong economy is partly due to the presence of Intel, which is the city's largest employer," says Raghavan. "Chandler has a low cost of living, which makes life easier for working parents. Incomes are high in the city as well."

The Southwest snagged a total of eight of the top 10 spots on our list largely because of the relatively low cost of living.

"Working parents want to live in a city where their children are set up for success and where their hard-earned dollar stretches far," Raghavan says. "As parents are planning for their children's education and their own retirement, they have to make decisions now that will affect the rest of their lives."

See Also:

Emerging Payment Technologies Will Create New Winners And Losers In The Giant Credit Card Industry30 Years Ago Warren Buffett Gave Away The Secret To Good Investing And Correctly Predicted No One Would ListenThis $500 Machine Could Change How You Do LaundryGeorge Soros Made A Huge Bet That Stocks Will FallHere's Why So Many Americans Don't Use All Their Vacation Days

SEE ALSO: The 20 Best Jobs For Work-Life Balance

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.